Trouble at the Gates
by Lemon1
Summary: Queen Amidala fic. My first one. Amidala spends a night on the town, but now she can't get home!


Trouble at the Gates by Lemon  
  
Rating: PG, I suppose  
  
Summary: Queen Amidala goes out for some fun, but now she can't get home.  
  
Author's Note: I was bored. REEEEEAALLY BORED, this is just an irrelevant piece. Actually it's my first FF so I'll go cower in the corner while you read.  
  
Disclaimer: If they are in TPM, they aren't mine. I'm playing with them and I'll put them back when I'm done, I promise! If they aren't in the movie, then they're mine, but I'm not really claiming them or anything (  
  
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Queen Amidala made her way slowly back to the palace. It was the middle of the night and it had just begun to rain. Her wonderful evening in the city had turned into a longer than expected evening. It had been so long since she was treated as a normal person, as a young woman.  
  
Amidala didn't want any security forces on this her excursion, so she asked Sabé to play her role for her. She told no one except the other handmaidens. They of course were argumentative about her solo venture into the Theed night scene, but the Queen had won that battle. Not even Captain Panaka knew tonight, for surely he would not have allowed her to go off into any "potential dangers" alone.  
  
As she approached the palace gates, she pulled her hood up over her head, as the rain was getting heavier. Luckily, she had no face make-up to get smeared or elaborate dress to get ruined. Tonight, she was a simpleton in an emerald green robe and cape with her hair in simple braid.  
  
She'd had an exciting time, but now it was time to go home and get some dry clothes and rest. She had quite a few important appointments early the next morning. She didn't expect there to be any problems as she approached the main gates, although she had snuck out of the palace. She was too tired to sneak back in, so she decided to deal with Captain Panaka's lecture and go right through the front entrance.  
  
When she neared the gate it wasn't well lit, but she knew she didn't recognize the two guards stationed there. When she reached the gates, the two guards approached her with their blasters by their sides. She stole a look at their badges: Reyen and Pailen. No, she certainly didn't know them.  
  
"Good evening miss." Reyen said as he and his partner stood between her and the gate.  
  
"Good evening gentlemen." She didn't want to reveal her identity if she didn't have to, her hood remained on her head, shielding a good view of her face. She continued to head for the gate, but they obstructed her path. "Excuse me, please."  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Pailen asked.  
  
"Home." Amidala replied frankly.  
  
"Oh, you're a staffer." Reyen stated in tone that made it more of a question. Amidala felt relief instantly. //They're going to let me in! That was too easy. //  
  
Before she could finish her thought Reyen continued. "I'll just need your id badge, but you should know you're way past curfew for all palace staff." He held out his hand expectantly for her id badge.  
  
"I…I don't have an id badge." Amidala replied honestly. She knew everyone who worked in the palace had one; even her handmaidens, but she never had any use for one. Of course, she had never snuck out before and tried to get back in.  
  
"But you said you worked here?" Pailen seemed confused.  
  
"Well…yes, I suppose so. Yes." Amidala decided she was just going to have to reveal herself as the Queen. Surely they would recognize her.  
  
"You suppose so?" Questioned Reyen.  
  
"Yes. Okay, I didn't want to have to do this but," Amidala reached up and removed her hood exposing her face. She waited for a reaction from the guards. That reaction never came.  
  
"Do what?" Reyen asked.  
  
"You don't recognize me?" It was more of a statement than a question. The two guards shook their heads getting more confused and more impatient. Amidala herself was starting to get a little angry. "Queen Amidala, pleased to meet you Reyen and Pailen." She said with a mock smile and exaggerated voice inflection.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm the Emperor of the Republic. Pleased to meet you Queenie." Pailen replied dripping with sarcasm. "Look lady, it's been fun, but if you haven't noticed, it's still raining and it's only getting later."  
  
"Yeah why don't you head on home, miss." Reyen added.  
  
"I'm trying to gentlemen. I kid you not, I am the Queen and you will allow me entrance into my palace right now." She was getting very angry now and used her most regal voice.  
  
Pailen was fed up. He pressed a button on his commlink and soon a woman's voice came from the other end. "Julé here."  
  
"Julé, this is Pailen at the North Gate. You're on post at the Queen's chambers right?" He didn't wait for her reply. "What's the Queen's status?"  
  
"Her highness is asleep in her chambers right now. Has been for the past few hours."  
  
"Okay, thanks Julé."  
  
"You're welcome Pailen."  
  
"Well lady, guess you can't be the Queen. We already have one." Pailen spoke rather rudely.  
  
"That's not the real Queen." Amidala informed them matter-of-factly.  
  
"If you're the real Queen then I have a few questions…" Reyen asked after Pailen shut down his link with Julé  
  
"Indulge me, please." Amidala replied.  
  
"What are you doing out here? Without guards, handmaidens, a royal appearance, and the rest of your normal retinue."  
  
"I snuck out earlier this evening to be a normal person for the first time in never. Next question." She snapped.  
  
Reyen didn't seem too pleased with her answer but he continued. "I've only one more, your majesty." He said, sarcastically stressing the last part. "If you are the Queen out here. Then who has been in the palace all night and now sleeping in the royal chambers?"  
  
"My handmaiden, Sabé. Only my handmaidens know of my 'excursion' tonight. Sabé acts as my decoy."  
  
"You are one imaginative, or deranged, young woman." Pailen exclaimed. "While this has been fun, you need to leave, and we need to get back to our watch."  
  
"Look, just call up there and Sabé will tell you I'm not lying."  
  
"I don't think we're going to bother her majesty over this." Reyen informed her. Amidala thought quickly.  
  
"Fine." With that she turned around and headed back to the main square just north of the palace. She found a public communicator and entered the numbers for her private chambers.  
  
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Sabé and the other handmaidens sat around the Queen's chambers vigilantly. Sabé hadn't even changed out of her "costume" yet. They were trying to decide when to alert someone of the Queen's missing status. The beeping communicator startled them all and Sabé moved to answer it immediately.  
  
"Yes?" She spoke into it eagerly.  
  
"Sabé?" Amidala questioned. The rain was getting fiercer and she was starting to shiver.  
  
"Your majesty! Where are you?" Sabé felt slightly relieved, but the Queen was not back in the palace just yet.  
  
"I've been trying to get in the North Gate for the past twenty minutes. But the guards don't recognize me and wouldn't even let me contact you. I'm in the main square right now."  
  
"My gods! Are you alright your highness?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine Sabé. I need you to go down to the North Gate and get me in though. And bring Captain Panaka."  
  
"Okay, I'll be down in just a minute."  
  
"And Sabé? Try to keep this quiet, alright?"  
  
"Of course, your highness!" Sabé turned to her mates. The Queen has been locked out. I need to go down to get her in. You guys stay here. Prepare a warm bath and get some dry clothes ready for her majesty. They all nodded and got to their duties. Sabé headed for the door, with Eirtaé who insisted on going with her.  
  
Julé stood to attention when she heard the doorknob of the royal chambers turn.  
  
"Your majesty. Is everything alr…"  
  
"Save it Julé, I'm not the Queen. Just get Captain Panaka down to the North Gate, now!" Sabé, still looking like the Queen, and Eirtaé rushed down the hall leaving Julé utterly confused.  
  
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Reyen and Pailen sighed and looked at each other as they saw their little delusional friend heading towards them for a second time.  
  
"Hello again gentlemen." Amidala greeted with a cocky grin on her face. Just then one of the large main doors just beyond the gate swung open revealing Queen Sabé.  
  
"Your majesty! What's going on?" Reyen and Pailen asked in unison as they bowed to the approaching figure.  
  
"Oh can it boys, you're asking the wrong person." Sabé scolded them. Before they had a chance to react to her words, Sabé and Eirtaé had opened the gate and were bowing before Amidala.  
  
"Your highness, are you alright?" Eirtaé questioned with worry. It wasn't possible for either Reyen or Pailen's eyes to open any wider. They were momentarily frozen. They were snapped out of it when Captain Panaka emerged from the door Sabé and Eirtaé had come through.  
  
Captain Panaka came rushing through the gate not even glancing at Amidala. "Your majesty, is everything okay? What's going on?"  
  
"Good gods! Can't you people tell the difference anymore!" Sabé exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air. Captain Panaka simply looked at her in confusion, while Reyen and Pailen were too afraid to move.  
  
Amidala finally spoke up. "While this is fun and all, I for one would like to go inside now!" At this, Panaka finally noticed her. He instantly knew his mistake.  
  
"Oh my gods! Your majesty!" He bowed to her. "You… you're not…you…" He fumbled looking back and forth between Sabé and the real queen. "How did this happen?" With that, Amidala let out a slight laugh and headed for the entrance. She stopped in front of the two dumbfounded guards.  
  
"We are so sorry your highness! We just…" Reyen stopped when the Queen held up her hand.  
  
"Gentlemen, forget it. You were just doing your job." She then turned and headed inside followed by a gleeful Sabé and Eirtaé and a confused Captain Panaka. She knew she would look back at this night and laugh. She had gotten to be a normal person in her favorite city, and she had paid the price for her deception. She didn't regret it at all.  
  
A/N: Sorry for wasting your time if you got this far! If for some insane reason you liked it, then let me know if you think I should write a sort of prequel about her night on the town. Constructive criticism is so wonderful, but flaming is unnecessary, I know it's pretty bad. 


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